Disintegration of Dreams
by KXU-Hanami
Summary: One huge mistake leads into a blessing, however, for Inoue Orihime, the blessing she has held on for 6 years has become a hazardous threat for Soul Society and to the land of the living. In order for her to protect the treasure granted to her after the Winter War, she must seek refuge back to the Arrancars and determine how to escape the dreadful situation.
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER 1 | His Copy  
**

It was already 4 o'clock in the afternoon and chimes from the nearby school were heard. Kids ran across the streets, holding their bags and lunch boxes with them while a few adults followed while exchanging conversations and gossips. It was the time of the day where the corner bakeshop was filled with hungry little kids and parents who were both tired from school and work. As the sun began to set, the crowd got thinner and thinner and the bright reddish lights of the sunset illuminated across the wood-adorned furnishings of the bakeshop. The attendant behind the counter glowed with happiness pasted on her face as her auburn hair gleamed with the rays of the sunset.

"Thank you! Enjoy your doughnuts!" she waved to the mother and child in front of her. The child smiled back at her waved his tiny arms goodbye. She looked at the old man who was last in line and gave him her signature smile. "What will it be, oji-san?"

"The usual, Inoue-san, four croissants and a bagel, sugar-free." The old man removed his hat as he answered. Orihime Inoue, the shop owner took the thongs from the hook and placed the old man's orders in a paper bag. She suddenly noticed that her regular customer was holding a small bouquet of white and lavender flowers. The old man took notice of the young girl admiring the bouquet in his hands.

"They're for milady. She was brought to the hospital early this morning. She said she was feeling dizzy and unwell. But just about earlier this afternoon, the doctor said she was going to be fine and it was just an over fatigue."

"I am glad to hear that." Orihime replied with a warm growing smile. "Here's four more pieces of blueberry muffins for you and granny. I pray for her speedy recovery. Don't worry, it's on the house." Orihime winked and handed the bag over to the elder man. He thanked her and left the store.

Stretching her arms up and high, the auburn-haired girl sharply inhaled and gave out a relieving sigh seeing that it was already 6 o'clock in the afternoon and no one was at the shop anymore. She untied the apron's ribbon behind her and threw it to the small bin near the room behind the counter and removed her hair from a bun.

"That's it for today then, another fine day for Karakura Town's best baker!" she cheered to herself, pleased with the regular high sales of her bakeshop but before she could put the closed sign on the counter, the bell that hung over the door called her attention. Entering the shop was a boy; around six years old, holding a drawing of a house with people on it, his unusually large backpack that hung over his back and he was wearing a gloomy expression on his face.

"Hello there little boy. I was almost closing but don't worry, what will you have for today?"

"Strawberry and red-bean paste bread." He said in a low voice.

"Did your mother allow you to eat sweets, little boy?" Orihime leaned at the counter, teasing the boy.

"My mother likes them too so I think it's okay." He replied, still in a low voice.

"Well then, tell your mom I said no. Little boys like you should eat vegetables to grow, not sweets."

The boy said nothing but simply lowered his head and reached into the pocket of his bag. He began searching for something and made Orihime curious. She leaned more and peered at what the boy was looking for, finally, the kid pulled his hand from his bag and showed her a few coins.

"My mother said that if I want something, I got to pay for it." He stated monotonously.

This made Orihime chuckle and closed the boy's hand. "Not everything is worth money." She smiled. The boy looked at his hand enclosed in hers and pulled it away, blushing. He placed the coins back into is bag and neatly returned the other items he took out as he looked for his coins. As soon as he was able to repack his bag, Orihime was already handing him a piece of strawberry and red-bean paste bread. He took the bread from her hands and handed her the drawing he was previously holding.

"Our teacher told us to give it to our favorite person."

"Is it for me then?" Orihime blushed. The little boy just nodded as he took a bite from the bread.

"Your mom won't mind then if you give it to me?"

"I like you and the bread that you make." He replied bluntly.

Orihime blushed and watched the little boy make his way towards the table beside the window to silently stare at the streets front of the bakery. She then diverted her attention to the drawing in front of her. There was a small house, some trees and clouds. Beside the house was a small boy holding the hand of what seems to be his mother and on the other side of the house was a taller man. Below the house was written 'Family'. Orihime bit her lip, her hands were slightly trembling but shrugging it off, she pinned the drawing on the cork board.

"Saki-kun." Orihime called out, her head faced down. The little boy looked at her in daze.

"What would you like for dinner?" Orihime forced a smile, fighting back tears that may come rolling down. "Would you like to eat out or do you want me to cook instead?"

"We can stay at home." He briefly stated before turning his head back to the streets.

"Well then. Wait for me okay? I'll just be changing and Uryu-kun might be here any minute to pick us up."

Saki nodded and proceeded to watch the streets again. It was already half past six and the street lanterns and lamps lit. The ramen shops started their cooking, smoke filled the streets and the sake stalls were filled with employees who were all tired from a hard day's work. After five minutes, Orihime came out of the changing room and locked the cabinets. She swiped up her phone only to frown at the message. Uryu will not be able to pick them up. Orihime sighed and smiled at the small boy who intently watched her as she finished locking the cabinets.

"Beef stew with spring onions sounds good, Saki-kun?" Orihime asked, wiping the powdered sugar on the boy's face. Saki nodded and pulled his bag on the table and swung it to his back before reaching for Orihime's extended hand.

"We'll be walking for a bit, Saki. I need to buy fresh meat on the nearby shop."

"It's okay." He replied with his ever monotonous and low voice.

Orihime and Saki paced through the busy sidewalks filled with merchants, restaurants, teenagers, older people and other various bystanders. Approaching them from a distant was a mother holding her child's hand as they window-shopped for clothes. The sight was heart-warming scenery and it was easily assumed that it was the child's birthday.

"I'm sorry I couldn't pick you up from school, Saki-kun." Orihime stated.

"It's okay." Saki whispered. Still sighting the mother and child at the nearby store with his blank stares.

"It's not okay." She sighed. "I promise you that when I'm able to leave the bakery to our employees, I'll be the one to pick you up from school and walk you home and we'll be able to shop for your toys and clothes together!" Orihime enthusiastically cheered.

"It's okay. Otto-san walks me from school to the bakery anyway. And sometimes, we sit at the park."

Despite being alarmed by Saki's words, Orihime decided to take the statement as a positive one and turn it into a conversation.

"Really now? So how does your otto-san look?" she asked curiously as they both continuously walked towards the nearby meat shop.

"I don't know."

Orihime frowned and decided to give it another try. "Does he talk to you?"

"No, he doesn't. But sometimes I can see his mouth move, I just can't understand him."

"Well, I'm jealous that you can spend time with your otto-san. I wanted to see him as well."

"He told me to keep it a secret but I like you so I'm telling you."

Orihime blushed and smiled at her son. She gave his hand a soft squeeze before pushing the door to enter the meat shop.

* * *

"Captain." a young shinigami approached his snow-haired captain and handed over a few documents concealed in an envelope. Opening the said envelope, Jūshirō Ukitake's eyes scanned the document and his brows furrowed. He placed the papers in his desk and told the young shinigami to ask the Captain Commander if they could talk privately. A few minutes have passed and the messenger returned and informed Ukitake that the Captain Commander was free.

"Yamamoto-san." Ukitake knocked at the large doors leading to the highest division office. Without waiting long, the large doors opened and led him to the Captain Commander's desk where he took a sit. Immediately, a female shinigami poured the men tea and dismissed herself.

"Ukitake-san, I believe you have something important to tell me." the old captain asked before tasting the tea.

"Indeed, Yamamoto-san. It's a report regarding Karakura town." Ukitake replied, handing over the papers.

"Karakura? There hasn't been any report since the end of Winter War."

"We have cleansed the area six years ago and placed a few threats on surveillance."

"Go on." Yamamoto replied, curious with the information the captain has brought him.

"One of the quarantined 'threats' have started producing an unusually large amount of reiatsu in a span of three years. An energy resembling to an arrancar. To be specific, if the build-up of the reiatsu continues in another four years span, the force may be equal to an Espada's." Ukitake replied, his eyes full of fear. Yamamoto sat up straight, knowing that this was no trivial matter.

"Who exactly are we talking about, Ukitake-san?"

Ukitake handed over set of documents to the 1st division captain in front of him containing various details about the target. Yamamoto raised a brow, surprised with whom the target was.

"I see. Send someone to Karakura Town. It's best if we can monitor the reiatsu in a close proximity."

"Shall I send Rukia?"

"No, send a new seated officer from the 2nd division, someone who knows nothing about the previous war."

"I understand, Yamamoto-san. I shall send someone right away. If I may ask, what will be our plan of action when we retrieve the target?"

"Hollow purification."

Ukitake's eyes grew wide and surprise, immediately forcing himself to stand up and spill the tea towards the reports on the table.

"Yamamoto-san, is there another way? We have to consider that the target is no other than Inoue Orihime's son, Saki. There will be no way that Inoue-san will freely give Saki to us! We must not interfere with their normal way of living as much as possible!"

"Ukitake, calm yourself. If we do not eradicate such entities, there is no doubt another war might be waiting for us around the corner. Such threats should be eliminated to ensure peace among the land of the living and here in Soul Society. Now, go assign an investigator to proceed to Karakura town. Make sure her friends do not interfere."

Ukitake clenched his hands and half heartedly gave his debate up. "I am sorry for my actions, Yamamoto-san. I will be dismissing myself." the captain exclaimed as he bowed his head and left the room. Somehow regretting the information he reported. What pictured in his mind was the image of Orihime, losing her one and only son.

"Chojiro." Yamamoto called out. The lieutenant entered the room together with another shinigami who went straight to clean the spilled tea. The lieutenant bowed to his captain and handed another set of paper works to the Captain Commander.

"The arrancars seemed to be unsettled." the white-haired lieutenant stated. "This report is from the watchmen to the only portal left leading to Hueco Mundo."

"As I thought, there is something up. Sousuke Aizen must have planned something up in his sleeves. Are there any abnormalities in terms of the reiatsu of the arrancars?"

"There is none, Captain Commander. It is only recorded that the arrancars have been in a stir recently. It's as if a force has been driving them mad and confused."

"Well then, tell the watchmen to keep a lookout on the portal. I need the guards to be tripled in number, just in case we are facing an uprising in the arrancars."

"Understood, Captain Commander. I shall disburse the imperatives right away."

As soon as his lieutenant left, Yamamoto massaged his temples, somehow confused and threatened with the rising possibility of a hollow attack, or worse, another arrancar war. It has been 7 years since the Winter War ended and they have successfully placed Hueco Mundo under their control, they have cleansed Karakura town and have removed all threats that may agitate the Soul Society. He picked up Saki Inoue's picture from the table and a debate formed in the old Captain Commander's mind.

"Why did I let such thing happen." he told himself. "A human and an arrancar hybrid. There is no doubt that Saki Inoue is no other than the Espada's child. Ulquiorra Schiffer's child."

* * *

**A/N: Hello everyone! This is my fourth Ulquihime fan fiction entitled "Disintegration of Dreams". This one will be a slightly dark fic compared to my previous three. You can check my previous works in this FanFiction account and I hope you'll take time in reading them while I brew up chapter 2 of this story.**

**This is just a simple and brief beginning to give you an idea on how the fiction will flow. Please do note that this fiction is labeled as "M" so do expect a scene or two and please do note that this will be a dark fiction and I may or may not twist your emotions so bad, you might feel the urge to find me and kill me. Anyway, READ, RATE and REVIEW!**


	2. Chapter 2

"Saki-kun, can you watch the stew? I can hear my phone ring, must be important." Orihime told her 6-year old while showing him how lower the flame and how to completely turn it off. Saki simply nodded in reply and immediately pulled a chair to make sure the stew doesn't boil over. Trusting that the little kid's unusually high intelligence and reasoning, Orihime rushed towards the second floor of her home which used to be her apartment before being able to buy the place.

The ringing kept on going until Orihime managed to slide the answer button. To her surprise and delight, it was no other than the famous strawberry-blonde lieutenant, Rangiku Matsumoto.

"Rangiku-san!" she cheered. Her voice high-pitched than usual.

"Yo! Inoue." Rangiku replied. "How're you doing? I'll be getting straight to the point. The Shinigami Women's Association will be having the annual get together. You should come, you need to take time off from your responsibilities even for a little bit."

"Eh? Tonight? I can't Rangiku-san. There's no one to baby sit Saki and Uryu-kun will be in his office til midnight. I can't ask him to watch over-"

"Really? Inoue! C'mon, bring the pipsqueak along. Know what, I'll pick you up *_hick* _right now. Stay there. BEEP." the big breasted lieutenant immediately hung up, making Orihime sigh in frustration and fear that Rangiku will actually go through the trouble traveling to the world of the living just to nag her into coming to the party.

"Rangiku-san must've had a drink or two." she told herself, giggling at the image of the lieutenant being stopped by a few several others from consuming all the alcohols allotted for the night. "Or maybe three and more." Orihime added, once again giving a hopeless sigh at the image of the never-been-sober shinigami.

Suddenly, Orihime realized that she left Saki with the boiling pot of stew. In her attempt to leave her room immediately, her arm swung at the side, elbowing what seemed to be a trinket box at the top of the dresser. Doubling her frustration, she grunted as she bent down to pick up a few pieces of jewelry on the carpeted floor, counting each of the accessory to make sure that she has both pairs. Orihime stood up when she finished collecting the accessories on the floor but when she stepped back, her foot caught a slight sting on the sole, she was surprised to see Shun Shun Rikka.

"I haven't seen you in a while." she whispered, collecting the hairpins on the floor. "Must be quite lonely."

The hairpins glowed lightly, almost replying to Orihime's voice. She smiled and placed the hairpins on top of the dresser, outside the trinket box. A nostalgic aura illuminated within Orihime's senses, almost drawing her to the experiences she had 7 years ago during the Winter War. To the young auburn-haired girl, it wasn't all tragedy, there were pieces of the puzzle that were indeed worth remembering. She bit her lip and opened another box on her dresser with trembling hands, her emotions slightly fuzzed and in a clutter, how will it feel seeing a memoir kept from 7 years ago.

"Maybe I shouldn't." she whispered, stopping herself from completely opening the box. Wiping a tear that formed in the corner of her eye, Orihime chuckled to herself who was becoming too sentimental.

"Saki-kun!~ How's the stew?"

* * *

In the whitewashed walls of what used to be the majestic palace, the sand swept by the strong howling winds helped remove the bloodstains marked by the dark war that has taken place a few years ago. The silence of the never ending night haunts the lost souls of Las Noches who was left untouched for the last 7 years however, a small buzzed humming from its interiors have been breaking the silence, little by little. One of the lost souls stood over the highest peak of Las Noches, looking at the artificial moon that hung over Hueco Mundo, hoping to find reason to step out of the rubles that has provided them sanctuary for the years that has passed. They had no reason to die before, thus they fight, but now the reason to live is no longer seen as well.

"Sad sight, eh?" a man with dark brown locks that ran across his face interrupted the silent contemplations of his comrade, sitting beside him. "I never thought we'd actually be looking at all the former glories of this place. All these sight makes me sleepy for some reasons. Anyway, I ain't here to chat. The lunatic wants your company." The intruder of silence watched his comrade stand up, acknowledging the message he has brought.

"You're really pushing the possibilities, aren't you?"

"Living in this state is disgusting. I believe that we have to use whatever resources are left to obtain control in this hell." he bluntly replied to his companion.

"Tch. I won't be stopping you, I wish you success."

"All is calculated well. When our plans are brought into action, the former glory of Las Noches will reign.

The brown-haired man sighed and immediately dismissed himself from the sight of his comrade. Indeed, they were all desperate and useless, lost souls looking for a path to travel, and everything that can be done will be done. This thought disgusts the former Cuatro Espada who took a final glimpse in the ruins of Las Noches and Hueco Mundo before sonido-ing himself to the mad scientist's laboratory.

* * *

"Ne- Saki-kun, you shouldn't do that again." Orihime pouted at the mess made by Saki who attempted pouring the stew into their bowls, it was a good thing that there was only a few of the stew that puddled the tiled kitchen floors. Saki bowed his head low, silently apologizing for what happened and Orihime easily understood Saki's non-verbal gestures.

"Don't worry, Saki-kun. It's no biggie, see? Oka-san has already mopped up the floor!"

"Gomen-ne, onna."

"You know, for a son, you should really start calling me oka-san." she nagged, frustrated with the weird term her son calls her.

Saki simply took the spoon and placed it in his hands. "Itadakimasu.", ignoring Orihime's remarks. Orihime sighed, "Itadakimasu."

The two have been living a completely circular routine ever since. On mornings, the cheerful mother would start cooking their packed lunches, then when she's done, she'll wake her son up to make him bathe and prepare himself for school. Orihime would also do her grooming as soon as she double checks Saki's school bag and his school supplies. When the two are ready to go, Orihime would walk Saki to school before opening her bakeshop, then entertain her customers. Around 5 o'clock or 6 o'clock in the afternoon, Saki would come to the shop and the two would wait for her quincy friend to pick them up and drive them home. There hasn't been any changes in the routine for the past few years and Orihime wishes the same for the next years, that is, for her and Saki to live a normal life together.

"Onna. Your hand." Saki pointed out while taking another spoonful of stew.

"Ah! This, I think I grazed my hand while I picked up the accessories from the trinket box. Some of them are unusually sharp."

"The box where onna keeps her bracelet too?"

"Bracelet?"

"The one given to onna by otto-san."

"Ah that... Wait, Saki-kun, where do you get these ideas?" she asked, surprised and confused.

"I simply assumed since onna never wears that bracelet but still keeps it."

"So what makes you think it's from your otto-san?" Orihime raised a brow, really curious with her son's words every now and then.

"Onna is sentimental and loves to keep things. I think it's a remembrance from otto-san."

"Saki-kun, I'm getting jealous that you call your dad otto-san. You still call me onna. What is it that makes otto-san more important then the person who gives you strawberry and red-bean paste bread?" Orihime pouted, teasing her son as they continued to eat.

* * *

"According to my final calculations, this portal can hold up to fifteen minutes to the human world. It can also sustain invisibility of our spiritual pressures. Now, who wants to test it?" the salmon-haired scientist grinned while adjusting the glasses that rests on the bridge of his nose.

"How sure are you that we'll be landing in the correct area?" the blue-haired bulked man with short temper ranted.

"The coordinates that I have placed are likely the previous one from my records seven years ago. So I'm 84% sure."

"84%? What happened to the remaining percent?" one man with dark brown locks asked seemingly uninterested followed by a long yawn.

"Well, that's for you to find out." the scientist grinned. A tall blonde woman shot him an annoyed glare while keeping silent with her thoughts toward the mad scientist's invention.

"Everything would have been better if we just opened the portals ourselves and not rely on this weird machine you have here." the feral one asked.

"And make the seven years of careful planning put to waste? Obviously not. Do you want them to give us a welcome party?" the scientist spat out. Already annoyed with the loud-mouthed comrade.

"All this nonsense talk it keeping us away from immediate execution of our plans. If you do not wish to enter the Garganta, then so be it." the stoic and callous one who stood beside the invention threw a poker-faced look towards his comrades yet his eyes were full of anger and annoyance with the unnecessary noise.

"Well then, be my guest." the scientist pushed a button from a control panel and spirals of energy materialized right before their eyes. "Gentlemen, lady," he coughed "this is the artificial Garganta I have been working on with such small resources from the wastelands of Hueco Mundo. Remember, this one can only hold up to fifteen minutes as soon as you reach the world of the living."

"Let's get going, let's go in according to rank." the blue-haired one teased. Everyone else looked at him. The tall blonde woman held him by the arm and pushed him near the portal. "Scared?" she asked in a calm yet insulting voice.

"I am NOT! Get your fucking hands off me!" he retorted.

"Before you go..." the scientist handed the emotionless comrade a small box. "I was able to finish it on time."

"You have my thanks." he coldly replied before jumping into the portal. The others followed him, sonido-ing through the seemingly endless abyss.

* * *

Five minutes or so, a strong gush of wind was heard from the outside yard followed by a surge of spiritual pressure. Orihime was surprised, realizing that it might really be the nagging busty lieutenant who came to fetch her. She quickly stood up and decided to decline the visitor's offer.

"Saki-kun, finish your meal. Rangiku-san might be here." she told him while wiping a few stew stains beside his mouth.

"Onna, it isn't Rangiku oba-san."

Orihime looked at her child who seemed to tell her that without a worry on his monotonous face and continued eating. She shrugged the feeling of butterflies in her stomach and smiled at her son as she got up and placed her bowl in the sink. "I'm going to get the door Saki-kun. If Rangiku-san insists you come along, tell her you got homework okay?" Orihime winked.

"Onna."

"Finish your stew and place the bowl on the sink, 'kay Saki-kun? It might be a little long conversation with your _sake-_smelling oba-san."

"Don't you feel it onna?."

"Feel what, Saki-kun?" Orihime asked, cold sweat forming in her hands.

"Otto-san, otto-san decided to see onna again."

* * *

**A/N: Second chapter's up! What will be the uninvited guests have in store for Orihime? How did they manage to exist after the war? And what are the plans laid by the lost souls of Hueco Mundo? Next chapter will explain a lot of things, the plot will start to unfold.  
**

**Having a hard time inserting fillers, we're almost there into the goody-goody Ulquihime stuff so hang on and stay tuned. READ, RATE and REVIEW!**


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3 - INVITATION  
**

The clock struck nine and the television automatically powered off. It has always been like that every single day. As soon as the television shut off from the living room, Saki has to go upstairs and prepare himself to sleep while Orihime will clean up after the dishes and audit the shop's income for the day, however, today was not that day where they'd take the chores as priority. The surge of spiritual pressure continued to heighten, concentrating on one area and the young girl felt confused from the said entity. It did not belong to the nosy lieutenant yet it did not feel like a threat as well. Orihime clutched the doorknob tight, contemplating whether to open the door or not. Saki stood up from his seat and proceeded to place his dishes into the sink, not giving any attention to the distress his mother experiences. The spiritual pressure was too strong to be a regular shinigami's doing so Orihime assumed it was one of the high officials of the Gotei 13 but even so, a visit from them means bad news. In the past seven years, they have not set foot in Karakura Town after its cleansing, so why visit it now?

"Saki. Please stay there." Orihime commanded her son with a straight face yet her hands were both covered in sweat and were shaking. With a quick twist on the metal, the door swung open and what appeared before her eyes was a large portal, enough to make way for ten men. Her eyes grew wide and her throat ran dry. Words were unable to escape Orihime's mouth when a blue-haired man stepped out of the portal, possessing a wide grin and eyes hungry for prey.

"It's been a while." he greeted, showing his feral grin and canine teeth.

Orihime took a step back and immediately pulled the door to close, however the familiar man flash stepped towards her and stopped her arm from totally closing what seemed to be her only mean of protection. "I guess this is your way of saying hello." As much as she wanted to scream, Orihime stood frozen in her position. Shocked and frightened with the Espada in front of her.

"G-Grimmjow..." she said, barely a whisper, barely just a breath.

"Now now, princess. Don't go closing this door yet, everyone have just arrived."

Orihime gulped and pulled her arm away from the Sexta Espada's grasps. "Everyone?" she asked, eyes not taking off from his blue eyes that towered above her. "See for yourself."

The helpless girl shifted her eyes from his strong gaze towards the portal. One by one. They were alive. One. Two. Three. Four. There were four of them who stepped out from the deep dark abyss of the portal. She recognized them all yet there were things different now, physically.

"Tia Hallibel..." she whispered to herself as the blonde woman approached her. "It's pleasant seeing you again, Inoue-san." she said politely with a calm emotionless face. She pushed Grimmjow away and cleared the obstacle from Orihime's view to the portal infront of her. Beside the portal were the Espadas who she though have died during the battle. Yammy Riyalgo, Coyote Starkk with his alternate, Lilynette and the last one to step out of the Garganta:

"Ulquiorra."

"Woman."

The unexpected reunion took a minute to digest and Orihime's mind began to clutter. Her sweating increased and the butterflies in her stomach seemed to double. She looked at the arrancars around her, they were alive and well. She surveyed their appearances and what she noticed first was the disappearance of their hollow remains.

"How-" before she could ask them, she was immediately cut off by the Cuatro Espada approaching her, a few meters away.

"Szayelaporro gave us limited time in using this Garganta. Your answers will be answered later. For now, we are asking you to come with us to Hueco Mundo."

Ulquiorra spoke softly yet feeling empty, the same as before. It had always been the monotone tune and the sad hymn whenever he speaks. To Orihime, hearing his deep voice once again brings her back years ago, the time when the only color in her she could see from all the white walls of Las Noches were her own auburn hair and his emerald eyes. Indeed, Orihime wanted this to happen, to see Ulquiorra again, to see Ulquiorra meet Saki, for him to be in front of her but she did not think all things through so now she froze on her spot, still processing all events that took place. She wanted to hold him now, she wanted to touch him to make sure this wasn't just a dream, she wanted to make a dash towards the Garganta but her fear overtook her, her fear for herself and for Saki.

"I-I can't." she replied, trying to make out the words from her mind who seemed to take the situation poorly. She bit her lip, her body trembling. She was scared, it felt like the day when he told her to come with him to Hueco Mundo for the very first time.

Ulquiorra raised a brow but not surprised to her answer. "This is not a command woman however, we are in need of your abilities to reject phenomena. You do not need to worry, our cause will not harm the land of the living nor the Soul Society. We need your abilities to protect Hueco Mundo, the arrancars and even the hollows."

Everyone else stood watching the pair converse. Almost crossing fingers that Orihime takes up the offer. They were all intently waiting for her reply, savoring every second of their parting from Las Noches whom served as a dungeon to them after the war. It was all calm and straight until a small surge of spiritual pressure filled the air. The Espadas searched for the direction where the pressure was coming from and everyone stood silent seeing a small boy in the doorway, watching them, emitting a spiritual pressure which in no doubt belongs to an arrancar.

"Saki!" Orihime turned to see his son approach them without caution. The spiritual energy emitted from the boy's body drew a single line stream, coincided with Ulquiorra's spiritual pressure and converged. All eyes grew big realizing that their spiritual pressures were not only similar but exactly the same.

"No way." Grimmjow told himself, getting closer to Saki who was not even an inch afraid of the Espadas around him. The rest followed, initiating investigations on Saki physically. Ulquiorra, who was in front of Orihime was astounded by what happened to their spiritual pressures, never had he encountered such event and it made the Espada curious. Shrugging off his curiosity, Ulquiorra once again proposed a request to the auburn-haired girl infront of him.

"Woman, we don't have much time, your service is very much needed to restore peace and order in Hueco Mundo."

"I can't go, Ulquiorra-san. I- I can't leave Saki here and the Soul Society..."

Orihime bowed her head, trying to picture out her friends and Soul Society being agitated by another betrayal.

"You need not to worry, woman." Ulquiorra stated as he pulled Orihime's arm towards him, making Orihime skip a step closer to him. Ulquiorra took a similar bracelet from before from his pocket and latched it the girl's wrist. "You know how this works, Soul Society will not be able to trace you. As for the child..."

"I'm not bringing Saki to Hueco Mundo!" Orihime yelled. For a brief moment, it was as if Ulquiorra was suggesting to bring her one and only child to the place where there were bloodshed and countless deaths. Her thoughts of placing Saki in danger made her frantic and she wasn't able to stop herself from releasing the worry added to the frustrations to the current event.

"Onna, don't worry about me. I want to go with you." Saki appeared from her side, tugging Orihime's shirt.

"No, I can't put you in harm Saki. Please understand that this situation isn't as easy as it seems." Orihime's eyes started to tear up. Her emotions were all jumbled, as if her heart wanted to jump out of her chest.

"I am capable of providing protection to you and your child, woman." Ulquiorra told Orihime, turning his gaze to Saki. "And I need the child to go as well, Szayelaporro might give me answers to my curiosity with this child." he added as he walked towards Saki who stared at Ulquiorra, not removing his eye contact with him the whole time. As soon as they were a meter away from each other, the Esapadas gave no doubt about the resemblance.

"Ulquiorra, you idiot. I didn't think this was possible." Grimmjow thought to himself as he gritted his teeth, not in annoyance but in interest with the relationship between Ulquiorra, Orihime and Saki.

"Child." Ulquiorra extended his arm to Saki, in his palm was another bracelet. It was thick and white, almost seemed to look like a bracelet made of a calcium. Orihime looked at the portrait infront of her. Ulquiorra and Saki. The reunion she has wished a thousand times before is now there right in reach. "This will protect you. I shall explain more later, however, time is running out. We need to travel to Hueco Mundo before the portal weakens." Saki took the bracelet from Ulquiorra's extended hand and tried putting it on with difficulty. Ulquiorra noticed the boy's struggle and with all eyes on him, shocked, Ulquiorra got down to kneel and attached the bracelet on the little boy's wrist.

How can Orihime take the opportunity from Saki away? He longed to be with his father and this might be the only way to get the two together. This might be the first and last opportunity. Remembering the drawing that Saki made, all he ever wished for was a family. The decision she makes right now will affect them both forever. There will be no turning back now and all on her mind was what will make Saki complete. Orihime gathered all her thoughts and took a deep breath.

"We will go." Orihime interrupted, all eyes diverted to her. "But Ulquiorra-san, please promise me that you will put Saki's sake as number one priority."

"No harm shall befall the child."

"And promise me that nothing bad will happen from helping you with your plans."

"This will only be for the sake of the arrancars who lost their way, no war shall be initiated. You have my word."

With that, Orihime took Saki's hand and gave it a soft squeeze.

"Are you sure you want this, Saki-kun?"

"Onna. Are you not happy?" he replied.

Orihime sighed and looked at the Espadas, putting her trust in their word. Without much interruptions and more conversations, the Espadas jumped into the portal. Ulquiorra jumped in too, but as he was able to enter the Garganta, he looked back and extended his hand to Orihime who was holding Saki's hand. Her heart was racing fast as she stared into his pale hands, framed by the black fingernails he possess. _Thump Thump Thump. _Her chest was hurting from the continuous throbbing, in seven years she has lived the life she has dreamed of. If she takes his hand, all will be gone.

"Woman." Ulquiorra stated in a cool and low monotonous voice. Orihime looked at Saki and then at Ulquiorra. Putting on a straight face, Orihime decided that its time to stop being scared and selfish. Saki should be considered now. This is what she yearned for.

With a trembling arm and a strong will, for the first time in seven years, their hands met.

* * *

**A/N: Yes. This is still a filler for the plot. That's why it's still short. BUT BUT BUT, in the next chapter, Orihime reunites with Las Noches and things will become more interesting from there on out. What are their plans? Why are they alive? Will the Soul Society notice their disappearance? Stay tuned to find out.**

**PS: Thank you so much for the critics and reviews! All are appreciated. Thank you, thank you! *bows***

**READ, RATE REVIEW!**


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4 - GENESIS  
**

_Flashback_

The artificial moon. It has always looked like real one except that this one doesn't really shine. It glows, it sadly glows just like a bulb that receives too little electricity. Orihime Inoue had been kept in prison for as long as she could remember. It was exactly 3 months since she left Karakura Town and joined Aizen's army of arrancars, their use for her, she still isn't certain except for the fact that she will be the one to deal with the Hogyoku stone. She tossed and turned at the large couch that served as her bed, her seat and her table, for weeks now, she cannot sleep easily, it was as if a bad omen was warning her that death could be right around the corner. She got off from the couch and shrug off any sleepiness that she feels and decided that it would be okay if she roams around the halls of Las Noches, besides, Aizen has permitted her to make use of the white palace as her home. Since that day, the arrancars that stood as guards to her room were removed, she was given full freedom inside the castle.

"Let's see... where should I go." Orihime whispered to herself as she kept on walking and walking forward, getting tired of all the white walls, white ceilings, white pillars and white floor tiles. She was able to stumble upon a few arrancars who lowered there heads for her and she also bowed to them in reply. She snickered and skipped across the halls, realizing her freedom in the palace was acknowledged by everyone. Her feet took her by surprise, turning randomly at every fork in the hall, going left or right without a pattern. For the first time in 3 months, she was able to enjoy herself even for a bit. Orihime awed at the structure of the palace, despite the fact that it was plain, she marveled at how large the place is. She hasn't found a same area and with this, she was sure that she isn't just going in circles. A few minutes or so, Orihime felt a rather strong cramp on her leg which made her lose a step and crash her back into the nearby wall, a meter away from her.

"Ouch." she thought, rubbing her shoulder which pillowed the impact. Suddenly, she heard a small chattering in the nearby door. Her mind processed it for a but until her eyes grew wide, realizing it was no other than Aizen's voice. Urging herself to leave the area at once, their conversation seemed to lure her and drive her near towards the door.

"Of course I do have plans. Her service to us won't be simply a short term. I have a great plan in store." Orihime assured that the voice she heard was Aizen's. She continued to listen to the conversation, hoping to get even just a tiny bit of information from Aizen's true plans.

"What do you have in mind?" a voice, higher pitched belonged to no other than Ichimaru Gin's. "More sake'?" He chuckled.

"Inoue-san is sweet, innocent and pure. I am very much aware that she has no kill counts yet. However, wouldn't it be amusing to see her use her godly powers to increase her records? I do believe she can increase her abilities' strengths to the fullest of their capabilities if she is able to kill."

Orihime gulped. 'Kill count'. Never in her waking existence has she thought of killing anyone, in fact she even spared hollows, letting her friends do the killing. Despite her horror, she still listened to the dreadful conversation.

"You lost me there." Gin replied with a frown, confused with Aizen's intentions.

"Say, we put Orihime in the throne as the queen of Arrancars. We shall convert Shun Shun Rikka into a dark piece of weapon, then her pathetic friends will be the pawns from the otherside. Wouldn't it be fun seeing the queen roam the chess board?" Aizen remarked. It was obvious that his remark was followed by a devilish smirk.

"I see you are really interested in that pet of yours, Aizen-sama."

"Who wouldn't want to take a girl who can reject time and circumstances as their bride? For all I know, my Espadas are all interested in taking her as well. You might even be thinking of the same thing, Gin."

"Me? Hahaha! I'd rather see that girl dead. If the lowly shinigamis outsmart us in this war and retrieve the girl, they'd gain a valuable advantage. If we just kill that girl, there's no threat whatsoever."

"Fair point. However, I wouldn't let her powers go to waste. And that body..."

With Aizen's final remark, Orihime couldn't stand it anymore. Her mind was so frightened, she did not want to be the one to kill her friends.

"Sado-kun, Rukia-san, Uryu-kun... Kurosaki-kun..." she thought, her hands tightly clenched in a fist, her eyes wide and open and her teeth uncontrollably gritted in disgust, her mind picturing a scenario where she would be standing on the lifeless bodies of her friends, regretting the time she did not tell them that she was threatened to leave the land of the living for Hueco Mundo. With her eyes starting to haze from fighting away the tears that fell, Orihime managed to force her feet to run, run away from the dreadful room. She blamed herself from even eavesdropping at the conversation that wasn't meant for her, it was better not knowing anything. It took her a few turns to finally give up and admit she was lost but her heart was so heavy that it began to tighten. She grasped her chest and prayed that she find her room right away.

From a distance, she heard footsteps, a lot of them to be exact and a thunderous chattering emerged. Her burdens grew heavier realizing that the group approaching included Nnoitra Gilga, the notorious Espada who threatened to rape her a lot of times, a lot more than she could remember. At this point, Orihime began to panic. Her mind was screaming for mercy as her heart pounded fast and hard. She was going to collapse under the stress she was going through. She ran and ran and took a turn to a dark hallway in Las Noches. The steps were becoming closer and to her horror, someone spotted her.

"Hey, isn't that pet-sama?" a voice from a distant made Orihime shiver. Without thinking of the slightest thought and reason, she pushed open a door and hid inside, praying and hoping the Sexta Espada leave her alone. Orihime sat still behind the door, anticipating a sly knock from the tall Espada but a few minutes have passed and no disturbances have occurred. She then took in a deep breath and exhaled deeply. She looked at the room around her, it was hard figuring out what room she was in since there were no lights, the only source of light was the fake moon's illuminated glow that passed through the high window to the floor. She sighed, comparing herself to the dark room. If her heart would someday grow black and evil, she'd rather kill herself than to let herself kill the ones she loved.

"I must get out of here immediately." she whispered. She stood up and decided to take a peek at the window. Maybe if she sees the scenery outside, she could calculate her present location and she'd be able to find her room immediately. As she paced herself through the dark room, trying to avoid any obstacle she could tumble over, her luck seems to be asleep. With a big thud, she found herself lying on the floor, face down and aching. She turned around to see what she tripped over to see nothing so she spread her hands and did her best to navigate her way. Her hand hit something hard, cold and a bit moisty and as she hit the alien object, it rolled down the floor and into the area where the fake glows met the cold pavement.

Two eyes that opened wide, with mouths open, blood stained skin and a bodiless carcass of a familiar man greeted her in the greatest horrid sight she could ever see. It was the head of one of her escorts before she was brought to Hueco Mundo. It was as if her heart stopped, the hands and feet rendered useless, her mind had been blank and her eyes saw through the dead and empty eyes before her. Her shriek was loud and full of fright and it echoed through the room. She kept on screaming, she couldn't take the pain and the stress any longer. At this point, she feared death, she feared pain, she feared everything. The room's door swung open with arrancars talking and speculating what the situatuon was yet Orihime did not care, she huddled into a fetal position, not looking up and continued crying hard. Enough is enough, just when she decided to open up to Las Noches and give them a chance, hoping that arrancars are simply misunderstood, she discovers their true natures. Their horrific natures, the hollow's nature to kill or be killed.

Her heart was bursting in pain until two warm arms from out of nowhere gave her a rather tight embrace, looking up, her gray eyes met jade ones, illuminating jade eyes in contrast to a very pale skin. She tried to push him away, her hands sunk into his hard chiseled chest but he wouldn't budge. "Leave me alone!" she cried on top of her lungs. The man in front of her looked at her in confusion. "Please, please don't touch me!"

Signalling the other arrancars to leave and close the door, the Cuatro Espada shook the girl in his arms into her senses. "Woman, why are you crying? And why are you here? You are given orders to stay in your room. You are making my duties to Aizen-sama more difficult than it should be." he stated monotonously.

"Head... a head. There's a decapitated head on the floor!" Orihime continued to cry. Her words were unclear from sobbing and sniffing, her tears uncontrollably flowed from her grey eyes like raging rivers. Ulquiorra could sense her distress in her spiritual pressure and from her shaking.

"Do not be absurd, woman. There is no decapitated head in here." he stated as a matter of fact and pointed towards to what seemed to be a pillow in the floor.

"I- I could've sworn it was a head..." she whispered, still huddled into her knees, sinking her head into her arms. After all these stress and sorrows, she must be going insane, she thought.

"Woman, why are you outside of your room?" Ulquiorra sternly asked, showing a bit of annoyance with the girl.

"I decided to take a walk but Aizen-sama... I heard him with Gin, their plans. And so I ran and ran... Until I got into this room."

"You should be thankful, the room you entered does not belong to the foolish Espadas or lower arrancars. It's mine."

"Y-Your room?!" Orihime was able to stop her crying, feeling very much embarrassed with her actions that led from one disaster to another. "I'm really sorry, Ulquiorra." she sobbed.

"It does not matter, woman. Now go back to your room, I shall take you." Ulquiorra monotonously stated as he stood up, removing his arms from Orihime.

"Wait. Ulquiorra, I don't think I can. I don't think I can stay alone by myself." Orihime whispered as she grabbed on to Ulquiorra's wrist. Softly but firmly.

Ulquiorra raised a brow, curious with the woman's actions.

"I'm afraid." Orihime whispered.

"What are you afraid of? If there are arrancars who threaten you and even if the other Espadas do, I shall immediately report this as insubordination to Aizen-sama for your health and well-being must be protected."

"No, that's not it. I'm afraid of dying alone or dying as an evil person." she lifted her eyes to meet his. With the soft glow from the artificial moon that hung above Hueco Mundo, Ulquiorra could sense fear in her reiatsu.

"Pathetic." he spat out "We all die alone. Friendship, relationships and commitments, as you say are merely illusions. They walk with you as you live and breathe but the moment you're in death, none will want to join you. That is why, hoping that you will not die alone is a wish written on water."

"How can you be so heartless, Ulquiorra?" Orihime snapped, her sorrow turned into anger.

"Your friends, you think they can help you? Their reason to charge into Hueco Mundo is so futile. What are you to them? In the end they will all die a vain death from the hands of my allies. You speak so much of your heart, friendship, relationships, are you that desperate to create an illusion just to appease yourself that there will be someone to protect the likes of you? This must be the strategy of those who are weak. Pathetic."

Orihime's hand clenched, she cannot take any more of his words. Even if she was weak, it would not be the reason that she wanted to put her friends in danger. Her mind went blank once more and with a jolt of adrenaline to her leg, she launched herself at him and her hand took in the momentum at the side only to stop inches away from his cheek. She panted. She was dizzy. She was tired. If she wasn't gonna die from being hack and slashed by hollows, she'd probably die from all the burden Hueco Mundo has to offer.

"Why didn't you proceed?" Ulquiorra bluntly stated as his eyes pierced hers, not taking them away from her. Her hand was still in the air, and she can feel tiny pricks in her palm from the reiatsu he was emitting. She continued to pant. "Just as I thought." he added. "Even you can't touch me." His eyes pierced hers, making Orihime uncomfortable and somehow puzzled with Ulquiorra's words.

"I can't do it." Orihime whispered as she pulled back her hand but before she could do so, Ulquiorra immediately snatched her by the wrist and pulled it forcefully towards him. Orihime's body skipped and now she was in a dangerous distance with the Espada, too close for comfort. Tears have rolled from her forehead, traveling all the way to her jaws before dropping to the floor. Ulquiorra was still grasping her wrist firmly and watched Orihime struggle.

"Are you afraid of me, woman?"

Orihime looked at him in the eye, at first, she thought she was threatening her but as seconds flew like minutes, the auburn-haired girl realized there was no hatred in his jade eyes. The emptiness of it was overwhelming that it was not frightening because of Ulquiorra's hidden motives but frightening because it was the first time she saw a pair of eyes that seemed to scream to be released from despair. Without thinking, Orihime raised her free hand and carelessly placed it in Ulquiorra's cheek. Ulquiora's eyes grew a fraction wide, surprised with her action in reply to his question.

"I am not. I am not afraid of you, Ulquiorra."

"I see."

"Are you hurting?" Orihime asked. Ulquiorra let go of her hand and pushed away the one on his cheek.

"I do not understand your question, woman."

"I'm sorry for asking Ulquiorra." Orihime shrugged her thoughts aside and simply gave him a smile. "I am sorry for the inconveniences that I have given you today." she bowed. Ulquiorra placed his hands inside the pockets of his arrancar uniform and stared silently at the girl in front of him, pondering the sudden change of moods and emotions at a short period of time. The Espada was lost in his own curiosity yet his cunning nature gave him a way to test his curiosities about human emotions and how they think.

As Orihime was wiping her tears, her peripheral vision caught something flying towards her and with swift reflexes, she was able to catch it. In her hands was a green-sheathed sword, Ulquiorra's very own Murcielago. Orihime looked at the object, wondering why Ulquiorra gave her the custody of his most treasured item.

"Ulquiorra, I..."

"Woman, I will give you instructions, now do as you are told."

Orihime was still confused but nodded her head. She gulped and waited for Ulquiorra's commands.

"Unsheathe Murcielago." he said. Orihime blinked twice before holding the sword firmly to remove the scabbard. The sword was light and she was surprised she could actually hold it in just one hand. She slowly pushed the scabbard until it fell from the top. The two of them had their attention towards the blade. The girl marveled at the sword in her hands, it had no dents or scratches and just by looking at it, one could tell it was really sharp. Unlike the other Espadas' blades who kept stains of the blood of their victims, Ulquiorra's sword magnificently gleamed under the moonlight.

"Hold it firmly." Ulquiorra's brief statements worried Orihime. She held it firmly and pointed it towards Ulquiorra's direction. 'Does Ulquiorra know what Aizen-sama plans to do with me?' she asked herself.

"Cero." Orihime's eyes widened in shock to see a green light illuminating from Ulquiorra's finger which was pointed towards her. She was sure that Ulquiorra wouldn't miss firing that shot and she was done for. Orihime bit her lip and braced herself, holding Murcielago tight. Everything went through slow motion as Ulquiorra's cero left his finger, Orihime closed her eyes and concentrated on her energy to release a barrier at the right moment but her resistance would be futile. Ulquiorra's cero could shatter her shield easily. She decided not to raise the barrier and accept Ulquiorra's course of action. This was what she wanted earlier, to die. Tis was better to die than to be the one to cause harm to her friends. This is the end.

"Cero oscuras." the green light traveled from Ulquiorra's finger to Orihime's direction but to her dismay and to her surprise, Murcielago absorbed the cero, inches away from her body. She was dumbstruck.

"Point Murcielago to me."

"Ulquiorra, what are you planning?"

"Woman, this is your chance, I have missed my chance to finish you off. With Murcielago in your hands, you can repel all my cero and can easily cut through my skin. Do it now and take Murcielago with you, you can escape this prison as you wish."

"Why are you doing this?" Orihime yelled. Confusion overfills her.

"Do not mistake my intentions, woman. I am not doing this to help you. Take this as a challenge. If you fail to kill me, I shall kill you without hesitation."

Orihime backed away and lowered the sword. "I can't kill you, Ulquiorra."

"I see."

Ulquiorra sonidoed towards Orihime and held Murcielago's tip to his throat. "Do it while I'm giving you a chance, woman."

"Why do you wish to die, Ulquiorra?" Orihime whispered, her head held low.

"Do not be absurd, woman. As an Espada, the thrill of death fuels our will to fight. We anticipate death every time we draw our swords in front of our enemies. So of course, I wish myself death every second that I live."

Orihime gulped. She was not accustomed to shedding blood with her own hands. She looked at Ulquiorra, the 4th Espada, with much concern, wanting to pry more about his being. There was something more why he wished death upon himself and Orihime was not convinced it was only because of the nature of an arrancar. She found herself staring at his chest. His hollow hole, hidden beneath the white uniform he wore. Unlike the Grimmjow Jaggerjacques, he shows his hollow hole only to a few. She haven't seen it too and she pondered that seeing the hole might give her some answers.

She bucked up and straightened the sword. Ulquiorra raised a brow, somehow amused that the woman was preparing to strike him with Murcielago. Orihime firmly held the sword and with all her concentration, she sliced through the fabric that ran from his neck to the base of his chest. Taking a sharp inhale, Orihime saw the sight of the void that seemed to suck her in. His hollow hole. The blackness that is surrounded by well-built ivory chest has made Orihime take a step back but this is what she wanted. She wanted to see the emptiness that causes Ulquiorra to act this way.

'CLANG!'

The sound of the sword hitting the ground echoed through the room and Orihime made a step forward to get a closer look. One step and another, nearing and nearing to the void in his chest. Orihime continued to walk and Ulquiorra said nothing, watching her pace herself carelessly at his space. Orihime did not realize such dangerous proximity she was with the Espada who can shoot her a cero anytime he wishes but all fright and confusion was put aside, for now, her attention belonged to the insignia of his hollow being.

She took a hand and raised it to his chest and she felt Ulquiorra flinch just a little, maybe surprised that she made contact. As soon as her fingertips landed on soft and warm skin, she felt an odd sensation ran through her body, she looked up and looked deeply in the emotionless Espada's eyes who watched her actions quietly. Her palm rested on the nothingness, anchored by her fingers and Orihime's curiosity painted her face.

"This is my hollow hole, woman." Ulquiorra broke the unsettling silence.

Orihime bit her lip. The chunk of flesh missing from his chest made her emotionally weak. She pictured herself losing a part of her just like as Ulquiorra lost that part of him. "When did this disappear?" she asked, barely a whisper.

"I do not know nor have I known if such part existed. I believe that is where all human emotions are kept. That area disintegrates day by day so I cannot tell what had been there or what occupied that space, all I am certain is that whatever is missing will no longer be restored."

"I can try." Orihime replied and a soft golden glow escaped her hand. After a couple of minutes without talking, Orihime achieved nothing and the glow disappeared. Orihime lowered her head in dismay and started to cry. She really can't explain the overwhelming feeling and the need to recover what was lost in Ulquiorra's hollow hole. She sunk her head in his chest and sobbed.

"I'm sorry." she whispered. "I figured out that my fear of death isn't really death itself. I fear that one day something will be taken away from me. My ability to be happy, my ability to cry, to laugh, to enjoy things in life so... so I thought, I wanted to return that to you. I don't want anything that makes me complete taken away from me, my friends, my love ones, my feelings..." her words were inaudible in between sobs but Ulquiorra heard everything clearly. He placed a hand on top of her head and he raised his head to look at the white ceiling. He was surprised at the girl's confidence and strength to take Murcielago and slice his uniform to reveal his hollow hole. He was surprised that she did not run away when he shot the cero and he was surprised that she touched him, unafraid of what he is capable of doing when agitated. He realized her feelings are luxury, he felt envious of what he did not posses and he realized this all through a test of courage.

"Why do you bewitch me with such strange feelings woman." Ulquiorra exclaimed, tipping Orihime's face to meet her eyes. "Why do you flood me with uncertainties existing in this world?" Her eyes gleamed under the moonlight caused by tears that left stains on her cheek. Both of them stared at each other for a while and with an unspoken agreement, Ulquiorra dove in and closed the gap on their lips. Orihime closed her eyes and parted her lips a little, giving Ulquiorra entry to deepen the kiss. His hand shuffled on her hair as he grew hungrier and hungrier, wanting for more. Orihime grasped the cloth of his arrancar uniform, tiptoed to meet his lips. It was wrong, it was a taboo and clearly a betrayal to her friends and Soul Society but Orihime did not care. For once she left the ground to think only about herself and the man in front of her. Ulquiorra forcefully pushed Orihime back, making her take steps backward until her back fell flat on a soft bed. They broke apart for air and Ulquiorra fully unzipped his torn arrancar uniform and tossed it aside. Orihime's hair sprawled all over the white bed, her hair in contrast to the bland sheets. Ulquiorra hovered over her, his toned muscles gave seductive silhouettes for Orihime's eyes to feast on. Orihime's breathing was ragged, anticipating something more to come from the Espada on top of her.

She raised her hand and caressed his arrancar remains and trailed her fingers to his teal marks. She stopped and frowned when she reached the end of the marks on his jaw.

"Woman, what is wrong?"

"I've always wondered what these are."

Ulquiorra gave no response and simply gave her hand a small squeeze. She continued the trail to his Number 4 tattoo to his hollow hole, tracing the edges, seemingly disturbed by the absence of whatever resides in that area.

"What is it that you want woman."

"This. I want to see this filled up. I want to be the one to fill it. I want to see what was lost. I want to see you live a normal life just like normal people in a normal home living a regular life on the real world. Without having to answer to commands, without killing..." she paused for a moment before continuing. "Without having to wish for death."

"You request deems to be impossible, woman. We hollows will always live a life of blood shed. We were born with something that urges us to kill and be killed that is why I cannot give you my word on that. However, I can compensate you with something that could grant what you desire."

"A gift?"

Ulquiorra pulled Orihime to sit up. As soon she was settled, he place his hand on his left chest and a soft glow emitted from his tattoo. Slowly, Ulquiorra pulled a green glowing orb in his hand. "Life force. It is something we hollows possess though only a few number of us knows its existence and can materialize such entity."

Orihime reached for it and felt its warm glow in her hands. Ulquiorra continued; "This may be able to grant you your wish upon its maturity, for it to do so, it will feed on your emotions. This life force is in its basic condition, it is starved from being inside my body, so it is useless for me to possess such force. Those who have fully matured theirs, being hollows by nature, have wished for power and thus turned into Vasto Lordes. Upon doing so, their ability to reason and think are long gone. Now, will you accept it, woman?"

"Will it bring you no harm if removed from your body, Ulquiorra?"

"There will be no changes whatsoever. Your emotions prove worthy of my life force."

Orihime smiled and nodded. She watched Ulquiorra push the orb in her stomach and bit by bit, the orb dissolves and she can feel a fluttering feeling through her veins, as if her body was refreshed and charged with a new power. When he was done, Ulquiorra leaned in to engage another kiss and on cue, Orihime closed her eyes only to be interrupted by a sudden surge of reiatsu in Hueco Mundo. Both their eyes appeared surprised and Orihime was both confused and excited knowing her friends have finally come and save her. The sudden appearance of the reiatsu was followed up by a knock on the door.

"Schiffer-sama."

Ulquiorra stood up and proceeded to open the door. The lower arrancar bowed and relayed the message he carried.

"Lord Aizen wishes your presence for a meeting, Schiffer-sama. There will be a ten-minute grace period before the meeting starts."

The lower arrancar bowed once more and immediately dismissed himself. Ulquiorra ran his hand through his raven hair. He turned around and closed the door. Picking up his Murcielago on the floor and pulling an arrancar uniform top from a table at the edge of the room, Ulquiorra glanced at the woman in his bed who anticipated for him to speak. But no words could escape Orihime's mouth. She was happy that her friends finally came but she was scared that Ulquiorra will be tasked to kill them.

"Come, I will walk you to your room."

The two walked across the hallways, footsteps echoing. Breathing was the only music to pace with each step. Orihime was troubled and confused and Ulquiorra returned to his usual self, walking past Orihime with his hands in his pockets. Not one word was uttered. When they reached her room, she looked back at the Espada who immediately left to attend to his summon. Ulquiorra did not say good bye nor reminded her of the actions that they've done earlier. His coattails dancing behind him. It was the last time she saw Ulquiorra in the palace. It marked the start of blood shed and terror. The next time she had the chance to see him was atop of the pillar in Las Noches, with him slowly fading into the air, his arms stretched to reach hers but to no avail.

* * *

**A/N: Okay! So 4th chapter is up! And as you can see, this chapter is a flashback. I hope this answered a few questions now. I'm excited to start the 5th chapter so I hope you enjoy reading this one. It's quite fun writing this chapter and I unintentionally made it too long.**

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	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5 - Homebound**

A familiar scent, the scent of pines mixed with metal. The smell of early mornings with moist moss on stones and faint smoke. It was the most nostalgic scent that tickled her nose into forcing her eyes to open. From darkness to a blurred light, Orihime opened her eyes and caught the sight of white ceilings with flickering fluorescent light. Her eyes were open but her senses still had to catch up.

"This isn't home." Orihime whispered, holding a hand above her face to test her consciousness. She bent her fingers that blocked the light coming from the old fluorescent light that went on and off. A few sparks coming from the cut wires that anytime may finally end the dying light. Orihime pushed herself up to sit and realized she was lying on an examination table surrounded by broken tiles and debris of what used to be an operating room. She looked at the rubble and wires thrown here and there and the tiles that lifted from the floor that must have been caused by a strong impact. Her sight caught a glow on a closed door so she stood up, slightly wobbling from the weakness of her knees. She approached the glass door and pushed it open to reveal a salmon-haired man who was too occupied with what he was doing with a table full of different-colored liquids.

"Uhmm..." Orihime leaned closer to the man. Finally, he took notice of her and removed a pair of thick gloves on his hands. He gave a sinister smile which almost made Orihime yell, it was then that she realized it was Szayelapporo Granz, the 8th Espada. She could remember him being the wolf in sheep's clothing when he'd treat her like a gentleman only to push her into becoming a lab rat for his experiments.

"Finally you're awake." Szayel smiled as he adjusted the glasses on the bridge of his nose. "A few more minutes and I swear I would've injected my latest serum on you."

Orihime smiled nervously back at him and waved her hand. "I think I'll pass to that, Szayel-san."

The flamboyant man frown and placed the syringe he was holding back to a dysfunctional drawer that doesn't close. Szayel sighed and returned his gaze to Orihime.

"I can't believe Las Noches is in ruins, my beautiful lab is destroyed." he hysterically exclaimed. Orihime looked around the place was a wreck and a few items were only salvaged to put to use. She sighed at the man in front of her who began tinkering the drawer.

"Szayel-san. Why did you want me here again?" Orihime asked, breaking Szayel's growing frustration.

"Hm." he smiled. "That's something Ulquiorra should discuss."

"I see. But, can you tell me how you're all alive? I thought you all died in the war." she replied.

"Not everyone is alive. But to explain it briefly, when Aizen-sama was still in command and Hueco Mundo was at its glory, I came up with an invention and Aizen-sama has been very supportive of that project. It's a machine that collects 0.0010% of an individual's reiatsu every second and stores it in an unbreakable vessel. With enough reiatsu collected, this machine can give you a 50% chance to revive upon death. However, upon revival, your power will be reduced to 50% of how strong you were upon death. It's a gamble actually and I asked the Espadas to partake this experiment."

Szayel took out a broken device, not larger than his palm and handed it to Orihime. "This is the device, it's small but it did wonders. The other Espadas told me they did not need it for we will not lose but a few more intellectual others allowed me to implant remotes inside their bodies to channel in their reiatsus to the device."

"That's why..." Orihime whispered, looking at the busted device in her hands.

"The device is triggered to revive us 30-days after the final Espada has fallen. I was surprised to wake up in my laboratory together with the others after the device is triggered however, due to immense pressure, the device exploded and I can't find ways to fix it for now."

Orihime blinked. So it was possible to revive the dead. She handed the device back to Szayel and to her shock and horror, she remembered that she took her son with him to Hueco Mundo. "Saki!" Orihime's eyes grew and proceeded to leave the room but her arm was caught by Szayel who snickered at her panicked state.

"Relax. I saw the kid follow Ulquiorra outside but I also saw he was wearing the specialty bracelet I made."

"Bracelet?" Orihime then remembered the bracelet that Ulquiorra placed on Saki's wrist before they jumped into the Garganta. "The bracelet only hides Saki's reiatsu, right? How will it protect Saki if Ulquiorra didn't know that the little kid tagged along with him and... and what if hollows attack Saki?!" Orihime exclaimed, comically grabbing Szayel on the uniform.

The Espada laughed and poked Orihime on the forehead before adjusting his glasses once again. "You worry too much, Orihime-chan. Like I've said, relax. Even Grimmjow in his released form cannot put a scratch on Saki."

Orihime was puzzled. "That bracelet I made especially for Ulquiorra is state-of-the-art. If you must know, that bracelet is made of Ulquiorra's arrancar helmet. Our arrancar remains fell off as soon as we were revived, for that reason, I still had to research but I am quite certain that our hollow-ness has decreased as soon as we took out first breaths again."

"So how will that bracelet protect Saki?" Orihime asked. Curious and worried about how Saki will survive the terrains and harsh weathers of Hueco Mundo.

"That bracelet is interconnected with Ulquiorra's reiatsu and strength. As long as Saki wears it, anyone who attacks Saki will only be repelled off by a barrier of Ulquiorra's spiritual energy, without him realizing it. And because hollows follow a hierarchy, any hollow bellow Ulquiorra's level will not attack your child. Sounds good right?"

The human girl released a sigh of relief knowing Saki will not be harmed. Szayel smiled and turned his back on Orihime. "Besides, none of us wishes the child harm. We're all surprised with what Ulquiorra and yourself are capable of creating."

Orihime blushed in the deepest shade of red and started sweating. "Wait! It's not what you think, Szayel-san! We did not do anything!"

"Haha! Really now?" Szayel raised a brow and tossed Orihime a piece of clothing. "Put that on and we'll be going to the meeting room. I think it's about time we start the meeting and so that you can start getting answers."

"O-okay!" Orihime proceeded to change back in the operating room. She held the hard fabric on her hands and smiled, it was her old arrancar uniform. She felt utterly reminiscent while putting it on, after seven years, it still fits perfectly just as the first time she wore the uniform.

_It suits you._

A voice that flashed in her mind made her eyes grew a fraction wide and blush again. One remark that made her treasure the arrancar uniform rather than dread it.

* * *

Ulquiorra silently gazed at the blueprints of Las Noches that scattered on the conference table at the middle of what seemed to be Aizen's meeting room. Unlike the other rooms and parts of the palace, the area was unharmed and was therefore the refugee camp of the remaining Espadas. Ulquiorra planned the reconstruction of Las Noches and the independent living of the hollows without the interference of the shinigamis, the executions of his plans starts now that he has the woman within his grasp.

"How long do you wish to stare, child." Ulquiorra spoke without removing his eyes from the paperwork and blueprints in front of him. Saki, who followed Ulquiorra outside Szayel's lab trotted behind him, following the fourth Espada along every curve and door he took. He intently watched Ulquiorra slide the papers back and forth, taking marks at each point and moving towards another plan. At each question Ulquiorra asks the child in front of him, seated straight at one of the chairs, Saki never answered nor showed any gestures. Ulquiorra didn't seem to mind. Only staring back at Saki then back to his work.

After almost an hour from observing the Espada, Saki bobbed his head to the side and broke the silence. "You are odd."

Ulquiorra raised a brow and moved to the other side of the table to pick up several sheets of paper. "Odd you say?" Ulquiorra replied.

"You used to have this." Saki placed his hands on top of his head, gesturing for Ulquiorra's arrancar remains. "Where are they."

"They are in your wrist." Ulquiorra coldly stated, his attention still on the papers.

Saki looked at the bracelet in his wrist and removed it, placing it on top of his head to mimic the placement of Ulquiorra's arrancar helmet. The bracelet slid of and almost fell on the floor but it was a good thing Ulquiorra managed to flash beside Saki and catch the bracelet. He lifted Saki's arm and returned it to his wrist without saying a word.

"Weird kid you have there." Grimmjow sneered upon entering the conference room. Saki and Ulquiorra only looked at Grimmjow who made his way to sit on the chair where Aizen used to sit. "Come to think of it, you two act completely the same." he added, laughing. Ulquiorra shrugged off Grimmjow's remarks and cleaned up the table. Saki stood up and went in front of Ulquiorra and spread out his hands, silently asking him to give the papers so that little Saki could help. Ulquiorra hesitated for a moment but eventually placed the rolled blueprints in Saki's hands.

"For someone so emotionless, you look good being a father." Starrk commented as he took a seat, beside him seated his counterpart, Lilynette Gingerback. Tia Hallibel has also entered the room together with her fraccions; Sung-Sun, Mila Rose and Apacci who stared at the figures similarly alike.

"The child is not my..." Ulquiorra protested in his monotonous voice. "Nevermind that, where is Szayel and the woman?"

"We're here, we're here." Szayel replied as he pushed the door open, accompanying him was Orihime in her arrancar uniform. Everyone stared, then Grimmjow let out a feral smile.

_"Welcome home, hime."_

* * *

Seated officer of the Gotei 13 paced back and forth in the Captain Commander's meeting room, still awaiting for the arrival of other captains and lieutenants. The old captain sat silently on the farthest part of the table, looking at the report in front of him. Uruhara entered the room and all chattering fell silent to acknowledge the arrival of the ex-captain together with Yoruichi and Tessai.

"I believe this is another huge matter for you to require my presence, Yamamoto-san." Kisuke Uruhara smiled though nobody sees it since he kept a fan in front of his mouth. The 1st division captain gestured Uruhara to come with him into a more private place to discuss crucial matters. He opened a door next to the meeting room and asked the other soul reapers to stay put. Settling themselves on the small table served with tea, Uruhara removed his cunning facade and removed his hat.

"The reports I received earlier from watchmen states that there was a group of arrancars sighted in Karakura town. Do you have any further details on this?"

"Really now." Uruhara raised a brow. "It seems I wasn't aware of the unexpected visitors. If these are mere arrancars, I believe they are in the weakened state since Hueco Mundo is a clutter, we may be able to eradicate such visitors easily."

"I believe so." Yamamoto sighed. "I am not threatened with their sudden appearance, however, what bothers me is that there is only one and only entrance and exit to Hueco Mundo. If the reports are true, then they have found out another way to exit Hueco Mundo."

"This proves that arrancars are interesting beings, so what levels were they?" the blonde ex-captain smirked.

"That is another story, Uruhara. It seems that our watchmen weren't able to trace their reiatsu."

"I've seen that before and high-level arrancars are capable of doing such, do you remember, Yamamoto-san?"

The captain raised a brow, curious with what the man had to say.

"Seven years ago, someone traveled to Hueco Mundo... unnoticed."

Captain Commander Yamamoto immediately stood up, panicked. He opened the door leading to the meeting hall and all eyes of the officers were on him.

"Soi Fon!"

The female shinigami scrambled to stand up and bow to the Captain Commander.

"Sir!"

"Assemble a sleuth unit, search the whole Karakura town for traces of arrancar activities."

* * *

The room was dark and the only lighting was provided by a few strips of LED on the wall which illuminated a greenish-blue light. The conference table had ten seats, five at each side and an extra one at the end where the previous ruler of all Hueco Mundo sat. Orihime fidgeted at her skirt, nervous and embarrassed to take the seat which once belonged to their beloved Aizen-sama. To her right sat Tia Hallibel with her fraccions sitting next to her and on the far end sat Coyotte Starrk, his feet up on the table. To her left sat Szayel, followed by Ulquiorra then Grimmjow and on the farthest sat Lilynette. She held back a giggle seeing Saki seated on Grimmjow's lap and Grimmjow seemed to be enjoying himself teasing Ulquiorra with Saki's presence.

"Well then, let's start." Szayel announced and swept up a remote from his pocket. He clicked a button and a projector flickered open, showing images on the white wall. "Ulquiorra, the floor's yours." Szayel handed the remote to Ulquiorra and sat down. The raven-haired Espada stood up and proceeded to the projected images.

"This is the complete blueprints of Las Noches, at the center is this, the conference room. The area was left untouched during the war due to the protection given by the surrounding rooms. Las Noches has a total of ten floors, five wings and six hundred twenty-seven rooms."

Orihime squinted her eyes, surprised with how large the palace in the middle of the dessert was. Ulquiorra clicked a button and another image flashed on screen. "The only surviving rooms include the throne room, the conference room, five halls which leads to the five wings of the palace and Szayel's underground laboratory. Everything else is in rubbles."

Orihime marveled at the blueprints, somehow trying to digest all of Las Noches. She bit her lip and raised a hand. Ulquiorra simply looked at her, no gestures need to say that she may ask a question.

"Why are you showing me this?" she asked. Her fingers went back on fidgeting the fabric of her dress.

Ulquiorra was about to answer Orihime's question but Halibel raised her hand. Ulquiorra nodded and the Tercera Espada turned to Orihime.

"We wish to rebuild Las Noches. With the rise of Las Noches, there will be authority among those who resides in Hueco Mundo. We shall take over once again and will not let the Soul Society interfere." she stated smoothly. Orihime intently listened, swallowing every now and then, nervous with what her participation will be. "After our revival," Halibel continued, "We had to recuperate our lost strength and that is, in 7 years time, we were able to match our strenght from what it used to be before we died in the war. By doing so, we had to stay hidden from the patrol units of Soul Society and we had to scavenge for materials that could help Szayel finish his inventions that would help us recover."

"However," Szayel joined the conversation. "It is impossible for us to restore Las Noches without releasing immense hollow powers and that is when we have decided to ask you to help us restore our habitat. The garganta we went through to pick you up, it was an artificial one. If we opened a portal with our powers, it would only signal the Soul Society that there resides an activity inside the palace."

"I see." Orihime lowered her head. "It must've been hard on you to stay hidden."

"Hell yeah." Grimmjow replied. "We had to wear these fuckin' bracelets so that our reiatsu's can't be traced and with that I can' fight!"

"We do not wish to rebuild Hueco Mundo to start another war, Orihime. Please put that in mind. We only wish to regain authority on this land." Halibel stated.

"If it would help both sides then I'm willing to help, but... I don't think my powers are capable of rebuilding your palace." Orihime frowned.

"Las Noches was not built in a day." Ulquiorra replied. "Judging from the level of your power right now, I have planned to do the restoration wing by wing so it would not exhaust you too much. When we traveled in the Garganta, the pressing power has fatigued you and eventually you fainted so for your sake, we shall do the restoration in an estimated time of sixty days."

"Sixty days?" Orihime gasped. "But what about our lives in Karakura town?"

"That, you don't have to worry about, Orihime-chan." Szayel smiled. "The artificial Garganta is capable of bringing you back and forth to Las Noches for the days to come. We shall pick you up from the world of the living after your daily routine and bring you here so we can commence construction."

"What about Saki? I can't leave him alone at home."

"The child can come." Ulquiorra stated which made Grimmjow laugh.

"Hear that, kiddo? You'll be here everyday! Someone must feel very happy!" Grimmjow laughed, looking at Saki who sat quietly on his lap.

"This will be confidential." said Halibel. "Szayel has already made a device to cover all reiatsus within the perimeters of Las Noches so no one will be able to trace your spiritual energy."

Orihime looked at everyone around her and then at her son who seemed to have liked the presence of the Espadas. "Okay then. When do we start?"

* * *

**A/N: Finally, I'm getting to the good part! Hang in there guys, I've been quite busy doing a lot of digital paintings lately so I can't continue typing my story regularly BUT since summer break is near, I can hold on to my writing time longer than usual. READ RATE REVIEW!**


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